Cal Rallies, Defeats LSU In Women's College World Series
OKLAHOMA CITY (CBS / AP) -- Frani Echavarria got her third RBI of the game during a three-run sixth inning for California, helping the top-seeded Golden Bears rally past LSU 5-3 on Thursday in the opening round of the Women's College World Series.
LSU (39-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Allison Falcon and Ashley Applegate each singled before both scored on Morgan Russell's double to right.
Cal (57-5) cut the deficit in half in the third. Britt Vonk reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a walk to Valerie Arioto. With two outs, Echavarria singled to right field to score Vonk.
Echavarria then tied it 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
In the sixth, Jamia Reid drove in the go-ahead run, Vonk had an RBI single and stole a base, and Echavarria added a run-scoring groundout.
Ashley Langoni hit an RBI double for the Lady Tigers in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Cal will take on Oklahoma on Friday night after the fourth-seeded Sooners beat South Florida 5-1 earlier Thursday. LSU will play USF in an elimination game on Saturday.
Lauren Chamberlain hit a two-run home run and Keilani Ricketts struck out 11 to lead the Sooners. Ricketts, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, struck out 10 or more for the 23rd time this season for Oklahoma (51-8).
South Florida (50-13), playing in the WCWS for the first time, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI double by Kourtney Salvarola.
Oklahoma answered with Chamberlain's homer in the bottom half of the inning. Ricketts' triple highlighted Oklahoma's three-run sixth.
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